Treasurer's race: Goldberg tops vote, all three candidates make ballot

Saturday

Jun 14, 2014 at 8:30 PMJun 16, 2014 at 5:28 PM

By Paul CrocettiMassPoliticalNews.com

WORCESTER - State Rep. Tom Conroy, state Sen. Barry Finegold and former Brookline selectman Deb Goldberg all made it into the Democratic primary Saturday, agreeing to not ask delegates to choose a favorite.Goldberg received 38 percent of the vote, Conroy 34 percent and Finegold 27 percent from the delegates at the Democratic State Convention at the DCU Center.

A candidate needs 15 percent to make the ballot. If no candidate gets past 50 percent on the first vote, candidates can call for a second vote to choose the party endorsements. The three candidates chose not to do so.In their speeches, the candidates sounded a similar theme of advocating for the middle class, stressing their backgrounds as well.Goldberg, of Brookline, pushed for preserving the “hard-working middle class, who are slipping every day.”“Economic empowerment, economic security, economic stability … they're a personal mission,” said Goldberg, a Brookline Town Meeting member and state committee member.Goldberg, who has also served as a Stop & Shop executive, touted her union support and stressed creating a “level playing field.” She said she supports a statewide financial literacy program, a statewide college savings plan paid through bank fees, and wage equality.“[Wage equality] is not just a woman's issue, it is a family issue,” Goldberg said. “It can be done. It must be done.”There are too few middle class jobs, Conroy said in his speech.“I'm running to make Massachusetts a commonwealth of equal opportunity,” said Conroy, who has served in the state House of Representatives since 2007.Conroy, of Wayland, said he would use the School Building Authority, which the treasurer chairs, to build pre-K classrooms and “put people back to work doing it.” He also noted that he's led the charge to raise the minimum wage.“As Democrats, we don't want an economy that says greed is good. We want an economy that serves the greater good,” Conroy said. “We don't want the rich to get richer at the expense of working families. We want to invest in working families.”

Finegold, of Andover, noted that both his parents were public school teachers and he said he would bring their values of hard work and determination to the treasurer's office.“I will stand tall for the middle class each and every day,” said Finegold, who was first elected to the state Legislature in 1996. “I am living proof that the Massachusetts dream is alive and well. As the father of three, I want that same dream for the next generation.”Finegold pushed for protecting seniors and their retirements that “they worked a lifetime to achieve.” He also advocated for financial literacy and creating more opportunities for people of color.After the treasurer speeches, delegate Margaret Coppe of Lexington said she supported Conroy because of his progressive values, such as supporting a raise in the minimum wage.“He also has the skill set to be the treasurer,” Coppe said.Current Treasurer Steve Grossman is running for governor.The primary is Sept. 9. Republican Mike Heffernan, a businessman from Wellesley, is also running.Paul Crocetti writes for MassPoliticalNews.com and is the editor of the Waltham News Tribune. Visit MPN online and follow on Twitter @MassPoliNews.